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Eddie Kessler in Season 1
Eddie Kessler is a major character in the first season. This article details their actions in each episode of the season. Boardwalk Empire (pilot) Nucky sleeps and works in a suite at the Ritz Carlton hotel on the boardwalk. Nucky spends the evening before prohibition comes into effect partying to celebrate the fortune he plans to make through bootlegging. As is typical for Nucky, he sleeps in late the next day. Eddie is left to field Nucky's visitors including Margaret Schroeder and Chalky White. Eddie enters Nucky's bedroom and finds him asleep with his girlfriend Lucy Danziger. Eddie wakes Nucky and tells him that Margaret wants to see him. After their meeting Nucky tells Eddie that he cannot make any more appointments. Nucky spends the rest of the day travelling on business with his driver Jimmy Darmody. Nucky arranges to supply New York gangster Arnold Rothstein with alcohol and sells him a shipment of 100 cases. The next day Jimmy calls in sick. Eddie interrupts Lucy and Nucky having sex because Nucky has a phone call. Lucy is livid and storms into the bathroom. Casino manager Lolly Steinman is on the phone for Nucky. Steinman tells Nucky that Arnold Rothstein has been playing non-stop and has won over 90000 dollars. Nucky asks Eddie to instruct Jimmy to bring the car around. Eddie tells him that Jimmy has called in sick. Nucky tries to get into the bathroom to get dressed but Lucy has locked the door. Nucky has Eddie try to break the door down. Eddie drives a fully dressed Nucky to the Oceanfront Men's Association that acts as a front for the casino. Eddie waits outside while Nucky attempts to smooth over the situation and stop Rothstein from gambling. Later, Nucky makes up with Lucy and takes her out for the evening. Eddie is called back into work when a scandal begins to unfold. Jimmy has hijacked the trucks carrying liquor for Rothstein and killed Rothstein's men. Eddie fields phone calls from both the media and Rothstein while Nucky investigates. Nucky ultimately takes a cut of Jimmy's profits from the hijacking and frames someone else for the crimes. The Ivory Tower Eddie gets into trouble when he allows Prohibition Agent Nelson Van Alden into the suite to question Nucky about the Hammonton hijacking. Nucky is later stopped by cutlery salesman George Baxter as they leave the hotel and Nucky needs Eddie to remind him of Baxter's name. Later, Nucky sacks Jimmy Darmody as his driver because of his involvement in the hijacking. Nucky works late into the night. Eddie takes another phone call from Arnold Rothstein which Nucky accepts - Rothstein is holding Nucky responsible for the hijacking. Nucky tells Eddie to wear a black suit as he will be driving later. Eddie asks about a chauffeurs cap and insists that he needs one. At midnight Eddie dresses Nucky in a tuxedo. Eddie has found a chauffeurs cap and is now wearing it. Margaret Schroeder arrives for another visit and Nucky instructs Eddie to wait in the car with Lucy Danziger. Once Nucky has spoken to Margaret Eddie drives him to the casino. Broadway Limited Eddie accompanies Nucky to a meeting with Chalky White. They negotiate a deal for Chalky to manage Nucky's bootlegging operation in Atlantic City. Nucky is confused when Chalky uses "motherfucker" in conversation and asks if Eddie knows what it means; Eddie guesses it is a “schwarze” (German, meaning black) word. On the phone in his suite, Nucky agrees to make a donation of $1000 to the premature baby hospital on the boardwalk. Eddie goes to remove a tray from the bedroom and Nucky chastises Eddie for taking it before he said he was finished. Eddie announces that Jimmy has arrived for a meeting with Nucky. Jimmy has been identified as one of the perpetrators in the hijacking and Nucky instructs him to leave town. Anastasia At the Ritz Carlton Hotel Nucky Thompson is standing in front of the bath room mirror practicing a surprised response for the birthday party he is throwing himself. Eddie calls from the bedroom of Nucky’s suite. Nucky is startled and asks how long Eddie has been there. Eddie has brought the guest list for Nucky to review. Nucky maintains that he was practicing a speech for the restaurant workers association when Eddie came in. Lucy Danziger comes in and announces that she is going shopping. Nucky gives her a handful of cash and tells her to get something pretty. She graphically references their sex the night before and Nucky is embarrassed. Nucky reminds Eddie to invite Governor Edward Edwards, knowing that Edwards will not attend because of their mutual dislike. He marvels at the Governor’s election calling him a democrat no-hoper. Eddie mentions that he has booked suites for Senator Walter Edge and Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague. Nucky confirms that they are to be treated as visiting royalty, particularly the senator. Nucky asks for his shoes and the gestures to his outfit when Eddie asks which ones; this is all the clarification Eddie needs. Nucky says that Edge is the key to Atlantic County receiving the Road Appropriations money he is hoping for, knowing that there is $30,000,000 to be distributed across the state. Eddie is confused when Nucky says he expects “a piece of that pie”. Nucky explains that it is an expression and asks if they have pie in Germany. Eddie shrugs and says they have Strudel. Nucky instructs Eddie to make sure their guests all get laid. At Babette’s Supper Club Eddie runs through the evening’s entertainment and menu for Nucky. He trails off as Nucky notices a dirty glass. Nucky complains and claims that he deserves better given the stress he is under. He reminds Eddie that he supported him through Anti-German sentiment during World War I. A trio of staff members silently watch Nucky’s tantrum. Nucky overturns a table and walks out. Eddie urges the staff to do their best. The birthday party is largely a success. Nucky dances with Margaret Schroeder and enjoys a surprise entrance by Lucy; appearing from the top tier of an oversized cake. Late in the evening Nucky uses a private room for a discussion with Edge and Hague regarding Road Appropriations funding while Eddie watches the door. Edge finishes his drink and asks for a Pimms cup. Nucky seethes when the drink is unavailable. The next day Eddie brings the bill for the guest’s suites for Nucky to sign and passes on a thank you from Edge. Nucky complains about the senator’s largesse. Eddie mixes Alka Seltzer for Nucky. Nights in Ballygran In March 1920 Nucky organizes the annual St. Patrick's Day dinner of the Order of Ancient Celts. During this time Eddie arranges meetings with Nucky for Carl Heely and Margaret Schroeder. Nucky begins a sexual relationship with Margaret. Family Limitation Eddie takes a call from Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague while Nucky is meeting with Eli and George O'Neill. O'Neill has been robbed while making collections and Nucky suspects Lucky Luciano. Eddie knocks and enters; Nucky berates Eddie because he did not hear him knock and instructs him to knock more loudly. Eddie has a message from Hague who is annoyed at staying at the Shelburne Hotel to meet with Nucky regarding Road Appropriations funding. Nucky instructs Eddie to set up a dinner and dispatches Eli to bring Luciano in for questioning. Eddie drives Margaret and her children, Emily and Teddy, to the new home Nucky has arranged for them. He helps them out of Nucky’s Rolls Royce and carries their suitcases into the house. Inside the children explore and Margaret frets about breakages; Eddie reassures that if anything is broken it will soon be fixed. He tells her that the kitchen is stocked and that there are three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. She gazes around in wonder and calls the house beautiful. Eddie says that he needs to go and Margaret wonders how she will contact Nucky. Eddie points out the telephone and says that Nucky will call her. Margaret asks Eddie if Nucky is nice to him and Eddie says that he is. Luciano gives up very little under questioning by Eli and Nucky. Eddie knocks very loudly on the door, annoying Nucky again. He announces that Margaret is happy with her new accommodation. Nucky is pleased and dismisses Luciano. Luciano thanks Nucky for showing him how things are done in Atlantic City. Nucky arranges to spend the evening with Margaret. However, Eddie arranges for him to meet with Hague. Nucky asks Eddie to cancel his plans with Margaret, disappointing her. Nucky gets useful political intelligence from Hague; Senator Edge is a partner in a Jersey City paving firm and is unlikely to help Nucky with the road appropriations funding. Home Nucky's father falls over at his home and breaks his hip. Eli Thompson moves Ethan in with him and Nucky decides to give the house to Damien Fleming, who has a young family. As Nucky meets with Fleming Lucy Danziger arrives and forces past Eddie to interrupt the meeting. Nucky promises to talk with her another time and Eddie leads her away. Fleming agrees to renovate the house. Later, Eddie calls Nucky to say that Sweeney and his men have finished work on the house. Nucky asks Eddie to pick him up so that they can see it and to invite Fleming to join them. Nucky cannot erase the painful childhood memories he associates with the house and burns it down. He has Eddie drive him home. Hold Me in Paradise Eddie accompanies Nucky to the 1920 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Eddie is upset that they have not received the Presidential Suite they requested at their hotel given that he sent a wire ahead. He complains to the manager and Nucky eventually bribes him to give them the suite. He assists Nucky as he travels back and forth to meetings with politicians including presidential nomination candidate Warren Harding, Senator Walter Edge and Harding's campaign manager Harry Daugherty. Eddie finds Edge in good spirits. He also accompanies Nucky to the Four Deuces brothel to meet with Johnny Torrio. Eddie enjoys the attention of one of the prostitutes in the bar but they have to leave before he can take her upstairs. Back in Atlantic City Eli Thompson is shot and injured during a robbery of Nucky's casino. Eddie gives Nucky the news during a dinner with Edge and he arranges to come home early. Before leaving he invites Jimmy Darmody to come back to work for him; believing that the shooting signifies that they are at war with New York. He also agrees to back Harding for the nomination and to keep Harding's mistress Nan Britton in Atlantic City until after the election. On the train back to Atlantic City Britton reads a poem that Harding has written for her while Eddie holds her daughter. Nucky comments that Harding has a way with words. The conductor opens the door to their room to announce that they are about to make a short stop. Britton goes to freshen up and Nucky asks for new from the convention. The conductor tells them that Harding received the nomination after ten ballots before moving on. Nucky observes that the imbecile that wrote the love poem will be the next president of the United States. Belle Femme Jimmy Darmody arrives back in Atlantic City. Nucky is annoyed that he did not get the telegram Jimmy sent and Eddie agrees to complain to Western Union. Nucky asks Eddie to get Jimmy a steak. Eddie accompanies Nucky and Margaret Schroeder to a dinner at Babette's Supper Club. At the bar Eddie flirts with Babette until he notices that Nucky is ready to leave. On the boardwalk a barker introduces a Zulu warrior to the crowd drawing gasps of shock from his audience. Nucky leads Margaret by the arm and Eddie trails behind them. As they promenade throngs of tourists watch entertainers. Margaret smiles at the sight and Nucky tells her that they need to go to the Ambassador Hotel to meet Jim Neary. Margaret wonders at the hour as Nucky is greeted by a passerby. Lucien D’Alessio spots them from a side street and calls out to Nucky, pointing at him and repeating his name. Lucien keeps Nucky’s attention by approaching with a hand outstretched. From the other side Sixtus D’Alessio emerges from the crowd with a gun in hand. He aims at Nucky but Eddie spots him before he fires, grabs his arm and causes his shot to go astray. He hits a woman stood near to Margaret in the chest. She collapses into Margaret’s arms and her blood leaks across Margaret’s dress. Nucky takes hold of them both. Lucien flees as Eddie struggles with Sixtus. Margaret is pulled to the floor by the injured woman and Nucky kneels beside her. Eddie gets hold of the gun and Sixtus runs down the boardwalk away from him. Eddie gives chase, ordering him to stop before firing at him. The bullet hits him in the back of his left thigh but he is able to limp around the corner. Eddie returns to Nucky’s side, concerned for Margaret when he sees the blood. She is visibly shaken and the wounded bystander has lost consciousness. The Emerald City See also *Eddie Kessler Season 2 *Eddie Kessler Season 3 *Season 1 References Season 1 Category:Season 1 Character Breakdowns